


Origins

by Miko_of_Midnight



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Childhood Friends, Clarke and Bellmay will be BROTP, F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Matchmaker Octavia, Octavia Blake Ships It, Octavia and Wells are my BROTP, Season 1 Redux, Season/Series 01, Wells Jaha Lives, Wells and Bellamy are best friends, What-If, alternative season 1
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-31
Updated: 2017-05-31
Packaged: 2018-11-07 05:09:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11051982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miko_of_Midnight/pseuds/Miko_of_Midnight
Summary: What would have happened had a young Bellamy befriended a young Wells and the two grew up together? This change creates a corollary universe. But the Ark was still dying and Octavia was going to be sent to the ground along with Clarke. Both Bellamy and Wells did whatever it took for them to be on that dropship for Octavia. Will the means Bellamy used to follow his sister tear them apart? Everything’s different on the ground.An AU where Bellamy and Wells have known each other since childhood and became friends. Where Wells lives longer than 3 episodes.A Season 1 Redux.





	Origins

**Author's Note:**

> Any dialogue from the show is not mine. The characters are not mine. Nothing is mine but this little twist in the story and all the repercussions I think would follow. 
> 
> The (romantic) pairings listed are all eventual and not necessarily the focal point (as in the show, that’s why we love it, right?). This is a big ol’ what if AU. What if Wells hadn’t been given a bad go of it and actually got to do more than die in 3 episodes and have no real characteristics except pining for Clarke and son of the Chancellor. However, I’d say the main pairings will be the first two listed. Others may be brief or in the background more. This is Wells-centric(ish) because I loved him and he deserved better. And there will probably be lots of Bellamy/Wells too.
> 
> And this is going to focus on the ground, because Wells living wouldn’t change much of what happened up there (for the most part). I’ll focus on things up there if they deviate from the show, otherwise there’s really not much point in rewriting everything when we all know what happened. I’d say if you need a refresher than maybe rewatch!
> 
> It's more like a Prologue than anything. Only proof-read by me and not beta-ed at all. All mistakes are mine.

He knew it was coming; it was the whole reason he was here, after all. The anticipation was made more excruciating by his solitary confinement. He was left only with his own accusatory thoughts. What if he had been able to stop his father killing his friends’ parents who were only trying to do what was best for their children?

And worst of all being locked in his one small corner of the Sky Box meant not being able to warn them- any of them but especially the two he had been arrested for.

He was broken out of the endless loop of his thoughts by a commotion outside and blaring alarms. His heart rocketed up where it decidedly did not belong; into the cavity of his throat- this had to be it. He stumbled off his bed and made his way towards his small window into the rest of the Sky Box. The guards were rounding up the rest of his fellow prisoners. His chest felt tight. He’d known it was coming, but the reality made adrenaline rush to his head.

Another sin against his father- sending teenagers, including his son and 2/3 of those he considered friends to Earth and most likely to their death. His heavy door swung open with a _clang_ and he fought down the instincts that told him to fight. Fight being sent to his end. He went, willingly if only in body. As he was being led out he could only hope that he’s get the chance to see Clarke and Octavia on the drop ship. His whole being recoiled at the thought of leaving his only home, of nearly 18 years, for (probably) death, but he couldn’t feel that it was a mistake for he knew he made the right decision even if he was being sent to his death by his father.

\----*-----*----

His only regret was that he hadn’t had time to say goodbye. He watched as the guards brought in an unconscious Clarke and hooked her into the seat next to him. She’d be pissed about her neighbour when she woke up. Despite that, Wells couldn’t help but be grateful to see a friend- even one who was currently furious with him.

He wondered how they had knocked her out because by the time Clarke began stirring; they had been travelling for a while. He should have been thinking about how he would greet her, but he didn’t know the protocol for greeting your estranged best friend who thought you killed her father.

“Welcome back.” He realized that had been the wrong thing to say as her face went from bewilderment to anger. Although anything he said would have probably been the wrong thing. Dumb dumb. “Look…”

“Wells, why the hell are you here?”

“When I found out they were sending prisoners to the ground, I got myself arrested. I came for you.” He rose up his arm showing her the wristband her mother had personally attached to his wrist with an apologetic look.

 _“Do me a favour, watch out for her, Wells.”_ He planned on doing just that. The ship jerked and the lights flickered.

“What was that?” He knew exactly what that was.

“That was the atmosphere.” The televisions blinked on and Wells saw his father’s image glitch into view.

Wells drowned out the Chancellor’s words not caring to hear what he had to say at this point. Instead he looked around trying to assess the tech that was in the ship. It seemed sparse.

“Your dad is a dick, Wells.” It was hard to argue that point and he was used to it, ignoring the comment.

He didn’t have much time to dwell on his father; before he knew it the ship felt as if it was flying to pieces.

The retrorockets ought to have fired by now. He must have said that out loud, rather than just think it, because Clarke responded.

“Okay. Everything on this ship is a hundred years old, right? Just give it a second.”

If they were going to die, he couldn’t die knowing that his oldest friend hated him.

“Clarke, there’s something I have to tell you.” He had been so close to telling her then. But, something made him stop. What if they survived and then she’d spend the rest of her life hating her mother, or she'd die hating her mother. He couldn’t let either of those things happen - not when he could prevent it. “I’m sorry I got your father arrested.”

“Don’t you talk about my father!”

“Please, I can’t die knowing that you hate me,” he had to try again.

“They didn’t arrest my father, Wells. They executed him. I do hate you.” He couldn’t blame her, at all. He supposed this was how it was going, to be.

Once they’d landed everyone seemed to immediately be drawn to the doors ready to open them. Clarke was out of her seat right away. Wells felt hopeless as she left and followed her slowly.

Wells tore his eyes away from his angry best friend when he heard that familiar baritone, that he didn't think he'd hear again.

“Bell?” a different familiar voice spoke his thoughts. He looked around and his eyes fell on the brother and sister hugging. He felt whole again. The part of himself that he thought he left on the Ark with here. Bell was here. And Octavia she was here too, and safe.

“Let’s give them something else to remember you by. The first person on the ground in 100 years.” He felt his body jerk as if he had been tripped. No. Not Octavia- the air was toxic she wouldn’t live and he couldn’t lose her. Logically, he knew they had to leave; they couldn’t spend the next hundred years in the dropship. But Octavia didn’t have to be the first outside (the first to die).

Bellamy swung open the door and Wells unconsciously held his breath even though he knew it would do less than nothing to protect him on an irradiated planet.

She stepped out cautiously. She looked around. There were no immediate signs of radiation breaking out on them and Wells silently let out his breath. Then he saw a grin break out on her face.

“We’re back, bitches!” There was a cheer that rang out and all the kids rushed out of the ship onto the ground in celebration.

He stepped out of the ship and the noise the other teenagers made faded from his awareness. He stared around him- dumbstruck. Every kid on the Ark grew up with pictures of the ground- even Octavia, Bell and him had made sure of that. It did nothing to prepare him for the reality; the verdant encompassing vastness that surrounded him now. The air entering his nose suddenly struck him; it was damp and musky, it smelled vaguely like the greenhouses on Farm Station but there was a fresh feeling to it that he’s never experienced before.

In that moment Wells would have been okay if death came for him. He didn’t wish for death – he had so much of life, and of this world he’d just landed on, left to explore, but he would have been at peace with his demise if it came at the price of the tremendous alien world he found himself in; where he strangely felt he belonged.

Earth wasn’t a piece of his own puzzle or a line of code in his own programming he finally felt he was seeing the scope of the puzzle and his small part in it- or he was seeing the world’s code and his line finally fit seamlessly in it. He’d only felt this way a few times before; He wasn’t the Chancellor’s son- he was just-

“Well,” he felt jerked back to the real world- as jarring as if he had been physically shoved. He blinked around dumbly before he was hit in the chest with Octavia.

“You’re here,” she murmured into his chest as he wrapped his arms around the girl he considered a sister in all but blood- even closer than Clarke.

“Well, someone had to keep an eye on you, Octagon.” She jerked back almost making him stumble.

“Wellamy Jaha did you get arrested because of me!?” He felt his face go hot under her scrutinizing glare. “I-I-“ she smacked him on the shoulder. Hard. “You could have died- you fucking moron. You turn 18 in 2 weeks. You could have been floated-”

“O, I had to warn you,” she narrowed her eyes, “and Clarke- I heard my dad talking and I tried to warn you both, but solitary- and-” he hesitated because he hated admitting to himself, let alone anyone else what his other reason was, he swallowed, “and I didn’t want to be alone and safe while you both died and I did nothing- so I did… something.” He saw her eyes soften when his voice broke on alone.

“Something stupid,” she muttered. “Probably,” he admitted, shrugging.

He honestly hadn’t thought of the risk of being floated. He assumed that the Sky Box prisoners would be sent to the ground as soon as possible to buy the rest of the Art more time.

“Idiot,” Octavia muttered before hugging him again. “Does Bell know?” she pulled back, her face anxious.

“I- don’t think so- it all happened so fast- and I don’t think he saw me earlier-”

“I’ll go get him,” and Octavia was gone as fast as she had appeared. Wells glanced around, but didn’t see her or her brother. However he did see Clarke with the Space Walker. And he knew that face as Clarke looked over the tops of the trees. He made his way over.

“They dropped us on the wrong damn mountain.”

Wells froze near them and looked in the direction they were, to a distant mountain –that according to Clarke’s statement and face- was Mount Weather. Wells almost approached them, but a) He was sure Clarke would be far less than pleased seeing him at this moment and b) they would need provisions if they were going through this unknown forest. Which he knew they had to do.

So he retreated back to the dropship to see if he could find anything useful for the trek or to see if communications were up. Even though Clarke would resent any help he could offer.

His father had sent them to Earth with just about nothing but the seats they had ridden to the ground. He tested the communication and it was down as well.

He found, well almost stumbled over, Clarke at the entrance strategizing, as he suspected she would be. Clarke was a born leader, part of this trait being that she, herself, didn’t want to be one or see it in herself. She was the type of natural leader that Wells knew his dad looked for in him and found his son lacking.

“We got problems. The communications system is dead. I went to the roof. A dozen panels are missing. Heat fried the wires,” he reported.

“Well, all that matters right now is getting to Mount Weather. See? Look. This is us. This is where we need to get to if we want to survive, “ she seemed to be murmuring more to herself than to him as she drew a line on the map. He studied it, surprised.

“Where did you learn to do that!?” he asked having only vague recollections of the maps section of Earth Skills and he didn’t remember anything like what Clarke had just done. He watched her face darken and he mentally smacked himself. Of course, “Your father.”

Stupid. Stupid. He took his anger at himself out on the next idiot that made a dumb comment. How could he have guessed it would spiral into a fight like it did? He apparently picked the wrong person to take out his anger on, because he was friends with the notorious John Murphy (who’d become something of a station legend since being arrested a few years ago).

“Relax. We’re just trying to figure out where we are,” he tried to diffuse the tension.

“We’re on the ground. That not good enough for you?” Bellamy. He was so excited about seeing him that he didn’t catch the other boy’s tone. Wells slowly turned and met familiar dark eyes. It was then that he noticed the disdain on the other’s face…

“We need to find Mount Weather. You heard my father’s message. That has to be our first priority.”

“Screw your father!” shouted Murphy. “What, you think you’re in charge here, you and your little Princess?””

“Do you think we care who’s in charge? We need to get to Mount Weather not because the Chancellor said so, but because the longer we wait, the hungrier we’ll get and the harder this’ll be. How long do you think we’ll last without those supplies? We’re looking at a twenty-mile trek, okay? So if we want to get there before dark, we need to leave now.” Bellamy’s eyes narrowed at her tone. Wells bit his lip looking between the two.

“I got a better idea.,” Bellamy said, glaring at the blonde, “You can go, find it for us,” he demanded of Clarke. “Let the privileged do the hard work for a change.” Wells winced at that. Is that how Bellamy thought of him too? He heard cheers around them. Were they serious!? Did they not see the point? It wasn’t about the privileged/not privileged and who they were on the Ark. This was about surviving. All of them; surviving.

“You’re not listening. We all need to go,” he tried to implore them, looking around before being knocked to the ground by Murphy.

“Look at this, everybody… The Chancellor of Earth.” Wells felt his heckles rise at that. He was not his father.

“Think that’s funny?” He demanded feeling anger rise in him. Apparently that’s all it took for Murphy to shove him again. He felt something snap in his foot as he went down and then he felt a sickening thud as his head bounced off the ground. He moved his head blearily; dazed. But he saw Murphy looming towards him and got up as quickly as he could and did his best to ready himself to prevent the next blow. Before there could be a next hit, the Space Walker landed in between them.

Wells tried to focus on what was being said by the Space Walker and Murphy, but he couldn’t focus, his ears were still ringing.

“He’s a criminal.” He heard a baritone voice hiss. Bellamy. Wells sat and tried to focus on the words he was hearing as the two siblings argued about keeping Octavia safe before they stepped out of earshot and Clarke came up to check on his leg. Clarke seemed to be believe it was a sprain and there was nothing further she could do with it. He supposed it was some sort of positive sign that she checked on him.

“Uh! So Mount Weather…When do we leave?”

“Right now. We’ll be back tomorrow with food.” The two of them wouldn’t be able to carry enough for the 100 and Wells said as much, so Finn grabbed two more people.

“Four of us. Can we go now?”

“Sounds like a party. Make it five.” Wells swallowed down his objection- he didn’t want Octavia in danger, Bellamy had no such trouble fighting this urge.

“Hey, what the hell are you doing?” Bellamy spoke Wells’ thoughts exactly.

“Going for a walk,” Octavia said through gritted teeth, jerking out of her brother’s hold. Wells was watching the brother and sister but his attention was drawn back to Clarke.

“Well, I don’t know. Do you want the people you love to think you’re dead? Do you want them to follow you down here in two months? Because they won’t if they think we’re dying.” He knew Clarke was thinking of her mom, probably watching their vital signs intently, Clarke’s most of all. He knew about terrible parental relationships but hers and Abby’s was one of the good ones. No matter what Clarke said he wasn’t going to ruin that relationship. It was better she hate him than hate her mother. She’d lost her father; she shouldn’t have to lose her mother too.

He saw the Blake siblings saying goodbye amicably and felt a smile tug at his mouth as she kissed his cheek. Clarke stood in front of him again, shaking her head.

“You shouldn’t have come here, Wells.” From the look on Clarke’s face, and when he looked at Bellamy, the way Bellamy was avoiding even accidentally glancing in his direction… He was thinking maybe he really shouldn’t have.

Octavia flounced over, seemingly giddy to be going on an adventure. He was a bit surprised when she gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek as well before jumping up and jogging to catch up with Clarke’s retreating back. He brought his hand up to his cheek watching her go. And he almost felt tears come to the surface of his eyes, at least _someone_ wanted him here.

“Before you get any ideas, Finn is mine,” he heard Octavia announce to the blonde when she had come back to where Clarke and Wells were. Of all the people-

“Before you get any ideas, I don’t care,” she muttered mockingly. Wells knew her well enough to see this statement for the denial or even outright lie that it was. She was obviously into him.

His eyes narrowed as she joined the Space Walker. He didn’t trust him not only was he ridiculously cocky, but he was callous. He’d wasted a month of oxygen on an illegal space walk. A month of precious oxygen on a dying ship. Even though he hadn’t known the impact of the oxygen he’d stolen for a joy ride, it was still selfish and reckless. He didn’t like the way Octavia was looking at him either as she joined Clarke’s group.

He wondered what was so damn special about this floppy-haired kid that made all the women in his life go crazy over him? What was to damn appealing about him. Couldn’t they see he was trouble?

Wells made another attempt to stand. He should be going with them. After a few steps he was panting and he accepted that was going nowhere. He watched as the distant figures disappeared into the forest and out of sight.

He knew that they could take care of themselves. Probably better than he ever could, as his pathetic attempt to fight Murphy (and his leg) could attest. But he still felt an uneasy tension in his gut when they were out of his known world- as if- he wasn’t sure if they’d come back. He pushed that thought back: ridiculous.

He tested his weight on his injured foot and winced. Looks like he wouldn’t be able to use that foot for a few days. He’s lucky his stupidity and clumsiness didn’t result in a broken ankle rather than a sprained one.

He thought back to Earth Skills. Their immediate needs would be wood for a fire, when it was cold and dark, and water. Clarke and Octavia would bring them back food. Water may be more difficult, but firewood he could do. He was sure there would be plenty of brush or fallen branches. He felt much better when he had a plan and a way to help. The only thing he didn’t entirely think through about choosing this particular chore was that it gave him time to think; particularly about the fight and Bellamy’s face.

Was he mad at Wells for everything that happened with Octavia and his mom? He hadn’t thought- well there hadn’t been much time. Soon after Octavia had been caught Wells had found out about the plan for the delinquents and he had to act- he hadn’t been sure about when his father would carry out his plan. Maybe Bell had thought Wells had abandoned him. He had to have known Wells had been arrested, right? It would have been all over the ship: the Chancellor’s son arrested. He’s left a partial note of explanation had Bell not found it (he wasn’t really tech-savvy- so he may have never gotten it.)? Bellamy’s face flashed in his mind, his face as he had been walking up with Octavia. Panic and fear and guilt. Why-?

Wells nearly tripped and looked around, realising he had been just walking through the forest rather than actually adding wood in his arms and the shadows were growing longer. He turned back the way he came and focused on actually finding what he came out here looking for.

\----*-----*----

“What the hell are you doing?”

“We’re liberating ourselves. What does it look like?” Bellamy asked not looking at Wells. It made him wonder- is this what they’ve come to? Bellamy acting like they’d never shared air- let alone a friendship?

““It looks like you’re trying to get us all killed. The communication system is dead. These wristbands are all we got. Take them off, and the Ark will think we’re dying, that it’s not safe for them to follow.” Wells thought of Clarke’s mom, and briefly of his father, but mostly of all the innocent people, especially children that would die if the Ark’s systems failed.

“That’s the point, Chancellor. We can’t take care of ourselves, can’t we?” It wasn’t about them it was about their people up there. They were going to die in space- not knowing they had another option.

““You think this is a game? Those aren’t just our friends and our parents up there. They’re our farmers, our doctors, our engineers. I don’t care what he tells you. We won’t survive here on our own, and besides, if it really is safe, how could you not want the rest of our people to come down?” He was trying to save all of their people. Why couldn’t Bellamy see that? Had he changed so much?

“My people already are down. Those people locked my people up. Those people killed my mother for the crime of having a second child.” Bellamy met Well’s eyes then. Bell’s eyes always gave him away- if you knew what to see. And he heard his unspoken words ‘and they would have killed Octavia for being born’. “Your father did that.” Is that what this was all about? Did Bellamy blame him?

“My father didn’t write the laws,” it was an automatic response for him to make. It was always his immediate defence of his father’s actions, which were truthful, though hallow words at this point. There was so much more he wanted to say. It was wrong. I tried to stop him. I’m so sorry about your mom.

“No, he enforced them. But here there are no laws. Here, we do whatever the hell. Whenever the hell we want.” Wells could feel the rest of them turning against him, not that they were ever really on his side to begin with.

“Now, you don’t have to like it, Wells. You can even try to stop it or change it, kill me,” Wells’ eyes widened as he looked at Bell with disbelief. “You know why? Whatever the hell we want.” Murphy led the rest of them in chanting Bellamy’s last five words. Wells knew there was nothing he could do that would get any of them to listen.

Wells felt a drop of liquid fall on his cheek and heard a loud rumble of sound. He looked up and an outpouring of rain came down as he heard cheers around him. He turned his eyes back to Bellamy, knowing about his fascination with rain. Bellamy was watching him, not noticing his waterlogged hair dropping into his eyes and water clinging to his eyelashes. Wells did. He blinked and looked away from him to the sheets of water falling around him.

“We need to collect this,” he realised, and then they wouldn’t have to go looking for a safe water source.

“Whatever the hell you want,” Bellamy responded, smirking at him. His face was closed even to Wells. He looked at him for any sign of the Bell he’d known and been friends with. Seeing none, he turned to find a way to collect the water.

\----*-----*----

Bellamy watched as Wells left the clearing as all of the kids around him celebrated the rain. Rain had been something he’d always wanted to see. When he’d first heard of it he read everything available about it and heard recordings of the sound. But all he could see was Wells leaving the clearing. He blinked as water blurred his vision and when he blinked it out, Wells was gone. He looked around and saw all the teenagers reveling.

He reminded himself again that he should distance himself now before Wells found out what he’d done.

Bellamy may think the Chancellor was a right bastard and Wells and him were hardly on good terms, but he was still his best friend’s father. But he hadn’t had a choice- he’d needed to get on that ship to his sister. As shitty as a thought as this was; he had thought he wouldn’t have to explain himself to his morally righteous best friend. He thought going to a radiation soaked planet while Wells was safely on the Ark had been sealing his fate. He should have expected something like this from Wells. Saving others before himself was at the core of who he was. He’d constantly put himself in danger for Bellamy’s family. As soon as he would have found out about the plan to send the prisoners to Earth, he would have done some stupid noble thing for them.

After all Wells had done for them and how did Bellamy repay him? He shot his father. And if Octavia knew… He didn’t think she would care much if he’d shot the Chancellor but she’d be livid if he’d ruined things with Wells who was her first (only) friend; the only person she knew and trusted outside of family. She loved him. Bellamy may have ruined his own relationship irrevocably with Wells, and it broke a deep part of himself that he’d rather not think about, but he would- survive. He feared what it would do to Octavia if she lost Wells.

Which is why he had been relieved when Wells said communication was down. The princess had pointed out their wristbands sending information to the Ark on their well-being. Then they would be followed down- by people who would know what he’d done and guards. While he didn’t want to be arrested he thought he would deserve it. But if the guards came down, O would lose either him or Wells, or both of them and he couldn’t allow that to happen (not after everything else she’s been through).

So he knew what he had to do; the easiest way for this to be solved was for them to think the ground wasn’t safe- for the wristbands to be destroyed. He went for the more volatile criminals who were more likely to listen to him and go against what the Council wanted them to do. It was ridiculously easy to get them to agree. This, of course, meant allying himself with those who’d just threatened to kill Wells.

Not allying, more like enlisting, them. Murphy didn’t really seem like he’d follow through with his threat- he was angry and violent, not murderous. Bellamy was fairly sure he could get Murphy under control and no one the wiser (especially Wells) that it was also to prevent him from going after the Chancellor’s son and to prevent Wells from getting more injured than he already was. Of course this backfired when he found out about Murphy stealing his gun and forcing Wells’ wristband to be removed. After that he'd had to teach Murphy a lesson not to do anything without his direction again.

He wished he could have reiterated that Wells was off limits as much as his sister was but that would have undermined what he was trying to accomplish here. And as long as Murphy followed his direction it should be fine. Bellamy would never knowingly or willingly hurt Wells. Even if the prince ended up hating him- he would always protect him.

\----*-----*----

“We share based on need, just like back home.” He couldn’t believe they were fighting about clothes from the dead that no one but him seemed to care to bury.

“You still don’t get it, do you, Chancellor?” Wells froze at Bellamy’s voice. He moved his gaze from the boy in front of him to find Bellamy topless and emerging from the dropship with his arm around an equally sweaty girl. Wells felt a weight drop in his stomach as they kissed. The breath froze in his throat. He looked away so he could try to get breath in his lungs again.

“This is home now.” His eyes went back to Bellamy, trying to get his face back under his control. His eyes went to the gun at his waist; the gun that had been used by Murphy to force him into submission. That couldn't have been under Bellamy's orders... could it? “Your father’s rules no longer apply.” Bellamy grabbed the clothes from his slack grip. He instinctively lunged forward to retake it, but was held back.

“Oh, no, no, Atom. Atom, hold up.” Wells looked to him hoping for him to be the voice of reason. “You want it back? Take it.” Wells stared at him in disbelief. Bellamy looked combative like when he was facing off Wells’ bullies when they first met.

Wells didn’t take his baited words and instead threw aside the clothes that had started this confrontation. He was a bit startled at how the others descended on the clothes like wolves he’d seen on a documentary in Earth Skills on North America.

“Is this what you want? Chaos?” He asked, turning incredulous eyes to Bellamy.

“What’s wrong with a little chaos?” Bellamy asked him, with that crooked jaunty smirk that made him look adorably mischievous. But his eyes showed a bit of doubt. They both started when they heard a scream and looked at each other before bolting towards the sound.

Wells felt himself grow angrier as Murphy kept talking about taking off those damn wristbands. His hand went to his own wrist that was still raw from last night. He was not going to let them hurt someone else.

“Let her go!” He ran on instinct and he was suddenly next to the fire, shoving Murphy to the ground.

“You can stop this,” he pleaded with Bellamy. Before the brunet could reply Murphy’s fist landed in his face. He once again found himself embroiled in a fight with the pale delinquent from Farm Station. Only this time, he was not going to let him harm another person.

\----*-----*----

“Wells!” Octavia was a bit behind the others but immediately limped faster at the blonde’s shout. Was he okay?

“Let him go.” She saw Wells holding Murphy in a submissive pose. Obviously the kid had a chip on his shoulder the size of Alpha station and had decided that Wells was the one to take it all out on. They had fought again and she was just thankful that Wells wasn’t caught by surprise and was holding his own.

Murphy lunged for Wells again and Octavia tried to speed up her slow descent with Monty to reach him. She knew she wouldn’t make it; thankfully Bellamy stepped in to stop Murphy.

“Octavia,” Her brother then seemed to spot her limp and lunged forward to catch her as she took an unsteady step. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” she assured him. She saw Wells take a few steps forward and smiled reassuringly at his concerned face. Wells looked her over for a minute, seemingly to make sure that she was really okay. She smiled at him. His attention was caught by Clarke’s next words.

“We were attacked.” With both Wells and her brother sufficiently distracted by the others in her group, it gave her a moment to collect herself and drop her guard to take stock of her injury, it burned worse than that time she had grabbed the soldering tool on her mother’s workbench and not realised it had been on.

“Where’s the kid with the goggles?” She focused on their conversation again at Wells’s voice. Trust Wells to notice his absence immediately.

“Jasper was hit. They took him. Where is your wristband?” Octavia looked and it was missing. Wells would never…

“Ask him,” he nodded to Bellamy and she turned her head to him, shocked. Was he serious!? She looked at her brother in dismay.

“Bell, why-?”

“How many?” the blonde princess demanded. Bell’s little lackey was the one who answered with the number. 24. And counting. Wells was one of those. Wells and his father may not get along but he would never want his father to think he was dead. What the hell was Bellamy thinking-?

Clarke told them all about the Ark’s life support failing and the need for reinforcements. Bellamy would have none of it. What had he done that was so horrible, she saw the desperation in his eyes this had to go deeper than his shallow words about the privileged. What had he done to join her on the dropship?

She was determined to go after Jasper, he had been the one to save her after all and Bellamy had to put a wrench in that plan. He ordered her to stay behind and Wells had backed him up! So what if she was injured she could still be of use to them! She didn’t need a fucking babysitter. She glared at them both as they left with Clarke.

\----*-----*----

When the news came back that the goggle kid had been taken and that they weren’t alone on the ground his visceral reaction was to keep Wells and O in camp and safe. A sickening thought hit him then: How was he supposed to protect them here? On the Ark he knew what to expect the rules and laws- spoken and implied. But here there were no rules, which meant he didn’t know what to expect or anticipate what would happen and prepare to counter. He controlled the camp, but couldn’t control what would happen to the two most important to him.

So he found himself volunteering to go find the kid in the goggles- not necessarily because of what Clarke Griffin said but because he saw O’s determination to find the boy who had apparently helped to save her and Wells’ resolve to search for him due to his duty to Clarke and to their people.

Bellamy heard himself scathingly call Wells ‘prince’ and cringed- it had been a term of endearment between the Blakes and Wells Before. And he heard himself tell Wells he was invisible as if it was another’s voice that came out of his mouth. What the fuck was wrong with him?

He really had no right to be angry at Clarke for doing the same thing to Wells he was doing. Except Wells had no idea why Bellamy was ignoring him and that Bellamy had burned their friendship to the ground and he had no hope for rebuilding. Whereas Clarke and Wells’s rift was due to his idiotic self-sacrificing nobility. Regardless of it’s sense- he still felt anger at every rebuff and snide comment. It didn’t help that she was constantly with the Space Walker. This just caused Wells to look more and more like a kicked puppy. He didn’t know how far gone he was on Clarke until now. And that just made his anger burn hotter and brighter at her for that.

Wells deserved more than the shitty way the Princess of the Ark was treating him- throwing him over for a callous narcissistic criminal over her supposed best friend. He deserved more than that. He and O deserved the entire world they found themselves on and more. Bellamy would never consider himself completely _good_ , but Wells and Octavia _were._

When the animal had jumped out at them his hand instantly went for his gun. And he really shouldn’t have been surprised that Wells had taken his gun, but he panicked. The idiot! He didn’t know the first thing about guns- Bellamy had at least been trained to be a guard. By some miracle Wells hit the beast and Bellamy met his eyes. He saw the blonde gazing at Wells adoringly. He scoffed. Now she fucking pays attention to him when he saves her life.

He’d almost lost Wells he sure as hell wasn’t going to lose Octavia. And some criminal lackey of his wasn’t going to ruin her life either. And if he was a little harsh on Atom, he shut that part of his brain (that sounded suspiciously like Wells) by reminding himself that he was protecting them- any way he could. That included going out and finding food for them and their people.

\----*-----*----

“I’m coming too,” Wells heard an all-too-familiar voice say over the sounds of Jasper’s groans. He turned and sure enough, Octavia was staring defiantly at Clarke.

“Someone needs to stay with Jasper-“

“I’m sure Monty can handle that-“

“But he doesn’t need to,” Clarke insisted; annoyed. “And we don’t need four people to get the plant for Jasper.”

“You don’t need three people for that either. You and Wells could do it just go get it; you showing him the water and him showing you the seaweed.” Clarke opened her mouth to argue further.

“I can look after him,” Monty piped up, trying to defuse the argument before it could gain traction. They need to focus on working together, not fighting. Octavia looked away from the blonde and focused on Monty.

“Will you be okay to watch him on your own, Monty?” She asked him sincerely. If he said ‘no’ she would stay with him, no question. Wells could handle everything himself, she was sure, but it may help him to have someone who was on his side go with him. Jasper groaned again, prompting an angry shout in return.

“Yes I can do it,” he said, determined.

“I can help,” they all turned around at that to see a tall, dark boy standing to the side. They hadn’t seen him hanging out with Murphy.

“Miller, right?” He nodded.

“I don’t need help, I can handle it on my own,” Monty insisted. He didn’t know if he could trust this random kid? Why would he volunteer to help when everyone else in camp wanted Jasper to be dead already?

“No, Monty, you could use the help. Especially since you’ll also be working on the communication systems. Let Miller help, he apprenticed some with my mom before he chose to train as a guard. He could be good to have around.” Monty rolled his eyes at that but bowed to Clarke’s wisdom and at anything that would help his friend. Monty knew farming and engineering, but CPR was as far as his medical knowledge went and that was required for all kids to be taught.

“Fine,” he sighed out before heading outside to get some water for Jasper.

Octavia smirked at Clarke. “Well, we’d better get moving while it’s light out.” And she left the dropship to find the fourth member of their group.

Clarke’s eyes met Wells’s and they shared a look of concern. She seemed to remember herself and her anger, and immediately looked away from him before leaving too. Wells sighed and followed the two most headstrong and, at times, infuriating girls he had the (mis)fortune to know and love.

\----*-----*----

Octavia took a swig of the alcohol and rolled her eyes as the blonde snatched it back and took another long gulp.

She asked about Jasper almost paranoid. Then “…You think I’m fun. Right?” ugh, she was a drag even when she walked the invisible line between tipsy and drunk.

“Oh, yeah. Among other things.” Ugh gods, had Octavia really thought that he was attractive, smooth even?

“You’re fun.” Wells jumped in, to Octavia it seemed that he was desperately trying to engage Clarke. Who knew she could make him feel like he didn’t event exist in the cramped space of the automobile? “You remember that time…”

“Remember that time you betrayed me and got my father executed? Yeah, I remember.” Octavia watched Wells’s face fall and then turn a bit blank, a bit less readable. Octavia jerked around and glared at the other girl as she drunkenly continued on, “Where were we? Fun.” Octavia opened her mouth, but felt Wells’s hand over hers before she continued.

“Yeah,” Finn made an unsure noise as he felt the tensions unmistakably rise in the hot, unventilated space. The drunk blonde was oblivious and turned back to Wells.

“Well, since you brought it up, and I didn’t, because I don’t want to talk about it, what were you thinking?”

“I made a mistake, Clarke,” his voice sounded weak and unsure, something Octavia could easily see through without any effort even in her tipsy state, because that maybe-whiskey had gone straight to her head.

“ ‘I made a mistake, Clarke.’ “ She mocked, obviously not getting it. How fucking frustrating; and she’s supposed to be the next great leader, the doted on princess of the Ark!? “Not good enough.”

“You know, I bet you couldn’t wait to run to daddy.” Wells froze at the mention of his father. And she could tell each word from his supposed best friend hit right where she wanted it to hit. She knew all of the weak links in his armour that hid bruised wounds beneath. “Tell him everything so that he’d finally believe you were the perfect son he always wanted.”

“What do you want him to say!?” Octavia demanded, the words bursting out of her because she was sick of it. Sick of the bile words she was spewing at Wells, one of the kindest and most loyal people Octavia had ever heard of, let alone known. Clarke looked jarred, obviously having forgotten Octavia’s presence, typical. But she was drunk and angry and recovered quickly. Wells grasped Octavia’s hand in a light warning that seemed to say let me handle this.

“I want an explanation.” She said glaring back at Wells. Octavia watched at Wells’s eyes skittered away from hers and from Clarke’s. That’s when she confirmed her previous beliefs about the situation.

“I can’t give you one. I thought I could trust him.”

“Well, I thought I could trust my best friend. Guess we were both wrong,” she said bitterly taking another sip.

“I’m still your friend.”

“No, you’re not. If you were my friend, you would walk out into that fog and never come back,” Clarke said petulantly. Those words rang in Octavia’s ears- what the fuck.

“What the hell is wrong with you!?” she burst out barely keeping herself from lunging across the small space to the other girl. “What gives you the fucking right-“

“Okay,” Finn interrupted, shocked at both of their outbursts. “How about we just… take it easy.” He pried the whiskey out of Clarke’s hands. They probably didn’t need any more of that clouding the air between them all more.

“I have no idea how to do that,” Clarke admits, turning her attention back to Finn. Wells took the bottle from Finn’s slack grip to take a drink, much to the surprise of the other three.

“So, we having fun yet?” Finn said, breaking through their shock at Wells, but not through the tension that lay blanketed in the automobile. Clarke murmured something about sleep and lay herself down as best she could, the others following suit, one by one.

\----*-----*----

“That kid’s driving me crazy.”

“Can’t take this much longer.”

“Someone needs to shut that kid up.”

Jasper’s groans were getting to him too. He dabbed the kid’s sweating forehead. He’d promised to help and he may be a thief, but his father taught him to be a man of his word. He will do what he can to help the kid. And of course it had nothing to do with how cute his best friend was- none at all.

“Murphy’s going to kill Jasper!” Speak of the angel- devil. And then the meaning of his words hit Nate. Fuck! Monty appeared through the ladder entrance. He attempted to close it and Nate’s body finally catches up with his shocked brain and he helps Monty close the hatch.

“The lock’s on the other side.” Of course it is. Nate looks around for anything they can use to place in front of the door, or jam it closed. Nate jumped into action as soon as he saw it. He ran and pried the part of the ship that had caught his eyes earlier and did his best to rip it off. Nate was focused and didn’t allow Murphy’s yelling to distract him.

“No rush. I’m fine here,” Monty bit out sarcastically as he felt more banging on the door. Nate freed the pipe and jammed it in the hatch. They watched as the hatch jiggled a bit more before falling still.

“Both of you better open up this hatch right now,” he growled out and banged once more on the door.

“Thanks,” Monty breathed out looking back to the other boy. Nate nodded to him at that.

“It’s what I’m here for,” he shrugged off.

\----*-----*----

“You’re the one who got him killed!” Octavia heard the broken voice say behind her.

“That’s it!” she growled as she flipped around and stalked towards the two ex-friends with Clarke glaring at Wells and him looking at the ground trying (and failing, at least for Octavia) to look unaffected and not dejected.

“What the hell is your problem!?” she demanded of the blonde.

“O-“

“This has nothing to do with you. Octavia-“

“The hell it doesn’t! I think you made it all of our business when you wouldn’t shut up blaming him for everything wrong in your life. It’s not his fault.” Clarke looked ready to burst in again. Octavia held up her hands.

“No,” she stated with a firmness that Clarke had not heard from the younger girl since she’s known her. (Clarke had heard in the operating room when her mother was determined to save someone’s life)

“If you knew Wells half as well as you say you do; then you’d know. It wasn’t him.”

“Don’t pretend you know what happened. He’s the only one who knew- the only one I told!” Octavia levelled a granite stare at Clarke.

“He’s the only one who knew about me.” Clarke’s eyes flicked to Wells and then back to Octavia- her only show of surprise. “My mom was killed because of me and I was locked away. I know he didn’t do it because he is the most honourable person I know. Think about it and you’d know that he didn’t do shit to you except continually saving your undeserving ass.” And with her piece said, Octavia grabbed Wells’s hand and walked the stunned boy away back towards camp, leaving the other two.

“Trapped in a hundred-year-old car by toxic fog. Whew. Last night was pretty… What’s the word? Fun,” Finn again trying to break the silence in the wake of Octavia and Wells’s exit.

“It wasn’t fun. It was irresponsible,” she said distractedly watching the other two in the distance in front of them. “We should’ve left the second the fog cleared,” she said, focusing back on the boy next to her.

“Even if the fog cleared, we’d never make it back through these woods at night.” He said defensively. He waited a beat before bringing up the main thing he wanted to talk to her about. “You were kind of rough on Wells.” Her face closed off at that.

“Hardly,” she scoffed, but looked again in the direction Octavia and Wells had disappeared, looking far less sure than she had been last night.

“He’s a pretty straight-up guy. And he loves you. You know that, right? But every time your dad comes up, he won’t give you a straight answer.” Finn allowed that part of his observation sink in before moving on to the point. “Makes me think he’s hiding something. So, I gotta ask you. How sure are you that Wells is the one who turned in your dad?”

“A hundred percent. All right? He’s the only one I told.” He’d noticed her slip up earlier and had to ask her, because he had his suspicions.

“Is he the only one who knew?” Before she could answer they heard a scream in the distance.

“Who was that?”

\----*-----*----

How many more of them will need to be buried before reinforcements were sent for them? Wells thought as he moved the ground with his makeshift shovel. He didn’t want to think of what this would do to Octavia. The first boy she gets close to, dying of acid fog. He needed to dig this grave, not just because it’s what any decent person would do (he remembered reading about how the Grounders buried their dead), but it would also give Octavia some closure. He should get back to her as soon as possible to check on her. Knowing Bellamy, he would shut down rather than think about losing his friend and his sister losing her beau.

“Wells?” He looked up and saw Clarke approaching from the direction of camp. “I know I probably don’t deserve it, but I need to know the truth.” He still didn’t know if he could do that to her, to them. “It was my mom. Wasn’t it? She’s the one who told your dad. I didn’t want to believe it. I… I couldn’t. I blamed you because my father’s dead and it’s my mother’s fault. Isn’t it?” He looked away, not wanting to confirm or lie any more. Especially since Clarke knew. “Wells… Please."

"I knew how you would feel. I wanted to…"

"To protect me. So, you let me hate you?” She looked at him and for the first time in far too long, her watery eyes weren’t filled with anger and hate when meeting his.

“What are friends for?” He would do anything for the three people he considered best friends.

“How can you forgive me?” she asked him tearfully as if afraid of rejection. If he were a more malicious person then he would probably make her suffer, but as Atom reminded them, life was too short.

“This is already done.” He insisted, pulling her into a hug. He felt a tension he hadn’t even known was there leaving him. Things were finally right with his oldest childhood friend and it felt right.

He wanted to make everything right with Bellamy. He would confront him after his watch tonight. After comforting Clarke and having the first civil exchange between each other he extracted himself as painlessly as possible. The sooner he got to his lookout the sooner he would confront Bell and find out what he could do to help.

\----*-----*----

Wells looked out across the darkness straining his eyes for any movement. And while he was straining his senses to see if anyone was in the trees, he also allowed himself to relax in a way he hadn’t been able to since Clarke’s dad had been floated. Clarke finally didn’t hate him. And he did feel relief at that. However, he was already trying to think of a way to mend Clarke’s relationship with her mother. He wanted her to have a good relationship with her only remaining family. Her mom had just been trying to protect them all. And her mom was a good person. Clarke was lucky to have that in a parent…

“Hi.” He straightened up and turned to see the small blonde girl he had seen in camp, she was probably the youngest of the delinquents, perching on the thick low hanging branch Wells was on. His face softened a bit at her scared expression.

“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked trying to put her at ease with him.

“I never can. You on watch?” she asked looking around interested.

“Join me,” Wells invited, patting the branch for her to sit down as well. She reminded him a bit of Clarke and he wanted to put her more at ease if he could.

“I had a nightmare,” she admitted after a beat of silence. Wells hummed to show he was listening and inviting her to continue, if she wished ,without pushing. His eyes did another scan of the surrounding forest.

“I… I have them every night. But… I think I found a way to make them stop.” He nodded absently, his stopped and strained his eyes, thinking he had seen movement and he only vaguely caught her next words, “I’m sorry.” He felt pain explode in his neck. He gasped grabbing the point of pain, slumping over, and almost losing his balance. His ears were ringing and yet he could still hear the soft tearful words of the girl next to him clearly.

“Every night, I see him. Your father. He kills my parents and… and I see his face and… and I wake up and I see yours. And the nightmare never ends. The only way to make it end was… was to slay my demons. I had to.” Wells tried to speak up, but his vision began to fade, he then felt weightless, and then he knew no more.

**Author's Note:**

> So, this has been in my head ever since I started watching around episode 2/3 of season 1 I was, hmmmm I’m interested in this Wells/Bellamy dynamic and their clashes and then- kill’t. And I was like nooooo Wells you precious cinnamon roll, you were too good for this world too pure and so they killed you. How unfair is that! And obviously we just had that amazing 4th season, but I feel like any plans I had for this story went to shit. Soooo, I think I’m still going to follow this Crazy Train’s tracks. I had a semi-plan for how to incorporate Wells for seasons 1-3 and then… I’m not so sure now. So, we’ll see. I’m not event sure if any one else is interested in this type of story for the 100. But, thought I’d post it because maybe just maybe there are others who would like to read this AU. 
> 
> So, there was a lot of word for word dialogue. I think I’ll move more away from that as we get deeper into the story. This was super long. I don’t know how well I will do updating. I work two jobs with a bit of a commute. I don’t know how often I’ll be able to update. But I have a long game in mind for this if I can actually get it done, we shall see if that’s possible for me to do. I shall do my best.


End file.
